Where Deaf Culture
Meets American History

Your students arrive at Washington, DC area airports where a private motorcoach and their dedicated Great Falls Travel tour manager are waiting. After checking into the hotel and a welcome dinner, the group heads out for their first unforgettable experience: the monuments at night. There's something about seeing the Lincoln Memorial illuminated against the dark sky that stays with a person forever.

• Vietnam Veterans Memorial
  Walk along the reflective black granite walls inscribed with the names of more than 58,000 Americans who gave their lives or remain missing.
• Korean War Veterans Memorial
  Nineteen stainless steel statues of soldiers on patrol emerge from the ground, their ponchos frozen mid-stride. At night, the lighting transforms this memorial into something deeply moving.
• Lincoln Memorial
  End the evening standing before the 19-foot marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, lit against the night sky. This is where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his most famous speech, and the spot where your students' DC experience truly begins.

This is the day democracy becomes real. Your students won't just read about the three branches of government - they'll walk through them. They'll stand in the Capitol Rotunda where history echoes from every surface, hold their breath before the original Declaration of Independence, and walk the halls of the Library of Congress where 170 million items tell the story of human knowledge.

• U.S. Capitol Building
  Tour the stunning Rotunda with its soaring 180-foot dome, view the collection of statues representing every state, and see historic paintings depicting pivotal moments in our nation's history.
• National Archives
  Stand in the presence of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights, preserved in the spectacular Rotunda.
• Library of Congress & Supreme Court
  Marvel at the ornate Thomas Jefferson Building, then cross the street to the Supreme Court, where students learn how the highest court in the land shapes the laws that govern our lives.
• The People's House: A White House Experience
  Explore full-scale replicas of the Oval Office and State Dining Room, and engage with interactive exhibits about presidents, first families, and the staff who shaped the Executive Mansion.

Today is about honoring those who gave everything. Your students will witness the solemn precision of the Changing of the Guard, stand at JFK's eternal flame, and walk among rows of white headstones that stretch as far as the eye can see. It's emotional, it's powerful, and it gives students a connection to sacrifice they can't get from a textbook.

• Arlington National Cemetery
  Witness the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Visit the Kennedy gravesite with its eternal flame. A ceremony performed with such precision that students often watch in stunned silence.
• Pentagon 9/11 Memorial & Marine Corps War Memorial
  Reflect at the Pentagon Memorial's 184 illuminated benches, each representing a life lost. Then stand before the iconic 32-foot Iwo Jima sculpture.
• WWII Memorial & Washington Monument
  Visit the WWII Memorial's Freedom Wall displaying 4,048 gold stars, each representing 100 Americans who died in the war. Photo stop at the 555-foot Washington Monument.
• Old Town Alexandria
  Wind down with an evening stroll through this charming colonial neighborhood. King Street, boutique shops, art galleries, and the Potomac River waterfront.

Today your students explore the world's largest museum complex. The Smithsonian houses 155 million artifacts across 21 museums, and admission is always free. From the Wright Brothers' original plane to the Star-Spangled Banner to Dorothy's ruby slippers, this day is pure wonder.

• National Air and Space Museum
  Stand beneath the Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer, touch a real moon rock from the Apollo missions, and trace the history of human flight. The most-visited museum in the world.
• National Museum of African American History & Culture
  Journey through the African American experience from slavery through the Civil Rights Movement to the Obama Presidency. Interactive displays that tell a story of resilience, triumph, and ongoing change.
• National Museum of American History
  See the original Star-Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln's top hat, and the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Interactive exhibits on American culture, politics, and social movements.

Your final day traces the legacies of two towering American figures. Students start at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate overlooking the Potomac, then visit Ford's Theatre where Lincoln's presidency ended on that fateful April night. Connecting the first president to the one who held the nation together.

• George Washington's Mount Vernon
  Explore Washington's historic home and grounds overlooking the Potomac. The interactive Education Center brings his story to life through 4D theaters and hundreds of original artifacts. Walk through heritage gardens and the sobering Slave Memorial.
• Ford's Theatre
  Stand in the theatre where President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Tour the museum with authentic artifacts from that night, then cross the street to the Petersen House where Lincoln died the following morning.
• Evening Flight Home
  Board the flight home with six days of memories, new friendships, and a deeper understanding of American history and Deaf culture.